Eric Hasted

Eric Hasted tells of a time his green beret got him a free bus ride home.

'Hi ho hi ho it's off to work we go'

Eric Hasted talks about being posted overseas.

'Stand to'

Eric Hasted talks about fighting in North Africa.

Coming home a stranger

Eric Hasted recalls how upon his return home his younger sister barely recognized him.

Recollections of life in the Royal Armoured Corps.

The Royal Armoured Corps

After joining the Royal Armoured Corps in 1940 and undergoing the obligatory training, Eric Hasted spent four years away from home, first in South Africa and then North Africa – where he was involved in heavy fighting – and from there he went to on to Italy and central Europe. Much of this time saw Eric operating a succession of British and American tanks, often against what was generally considered to be superior German equipment.

Uncertainty, loss, rumours and suffering

Eric offers insights on what to the outside observer now must seem extraordinary events, but that to Eric became a routine – the uncertainty, loss, rumours, suffering along with the frustration of equipment shortages. In addition there was the occasional surprise – such as the time in Alexandria when Eric bumped into a group of WRENs and one was none other than a girl he had known since childhood and who had grown up a few doors down from him in Gillingham, Kent.

An ironical sense of humour

Eric’s recollections of his war service are brought to life thanks to his incredible memory and an ironical sense of humour. We learn how his regimental beret resulted in him being mistaken as French and once got him a free bus ride home. Then there was the time years later in Austria - just after VE day - when somebody had the radio on BBC for a morning service and they started singing a hymn to the tune of the German national anthem and the local population thought the Nazis were back! “Although” says Eric, “it wasn’t funny at the time”.